Floor parties are back.

Following Sunday’s season-high 49.450 floor mark, scores and spirits are soaring as the highly anticipated second home meet of the season is fast approaching.

No. 5 UCLA gymnastics will host Washington at Pauley Pavilion on Friday, and the Bruins are coming off a 197.425-196.900 win against Michigan State, despite multiple lineup changes and athletes recovering from illness.

The squad showcased its depth and versatility last week after freshman Nola Matthews and sophomore Mika Webster-Longin were sidelined with the flu. Multiple athletes made their debuts to fill the gaps, including freshman Jordis Eichman – who started her college career on the vault and beam, earning a 9.750 and 9.825, respectively.

Fellow freshman Ashlee Sullivan made her first appearance in the all-around, coming in fourth with a 39.200. Junior Sydney Barros earned her first appearance on floor as well, and with a 9.900, she proved she was deserving of her position on the lineup. In addition, the team posted its highest overall score this season with a 197.425.

“It is a testament to the resilience this team has and the determination they have to be a great, competitive team no matter the circumstance,” said coach Janelle McDonald. “To see some different athletes step into lineups they’ve never been in before, and to handle it with so much competitive grit was cool to see, and really showed our team what we’re capable of moving forward.”

The Bruins have already faced the Huskies this season at the Best of the West Quad on Jan. 3, in which UCLA secured victory with a 196.975, besting Washington’s 195.625. With a few more competitions under each team’s belt, the pair is set to go head-to-head again – this time in front of a sea of blue and gold.

[Related: UCLA gymnastics sticks the landing, wins Best of the West Quad with 196.975 mark]

Previous history with a team is not on the Bruins’ radar. Instead, they are looking inward and focusing on what is in their control.

“We want to make a statement in the Big Ten each and every year. We want to show up to every competition and continue to build and make the little adjustments from week to week,” McDonald said. “That’s really our mentality – it is not necessarily who’s on the other side of the competition floor.”

And that approach has yielded results.

Senior Jordan Chiles collected her second perfect 10 of the season, the nation’s highest all-around score, and fourth consecutive Big Ten gymnast of the week honor last week.

Chiles scored a 9.950 on both bars and beam, adding a 9.975 on vault after sticking her Yurchenko double full once again. Her average all-around score of 39.712 is almost two-tenths higher than the second-place athlete, and she holds the No. 1 vault, No. 6 beam and bars, and No. 8 floor rankings.

“It’s incredible to watch her go out there with so much confidence, so much poise, but also with such amazing technique, dialed in and to really deliver in the moments that matter most,” McDonald said.

Now back home, many Bruins are looking forward to returning to Pauley Pavilion.

Competing at home allows UCLA to take advantage of the Olympics event rotation and finish with its signature floor party, while also avoiding the challenges of Big Ten travel.

“Away meets, it’s a little bit of an adjustment,” Sullivan said. “You’re flying, you’re staying at a hotel, eating at a hotel, everything kind of affects you, your mental game and what you’re going to put out on the floor.”

The squad has traveled three times so far this season, with four more road meets slated. While travel can take a toll, the Bruins posted their best meet of this season away from home.

But the cold Midwest still came as a shock for some of the athletes.

“Competing in Michigan was different because of how cold it was,” Barros said. “I’ve been raised in the South my entire life, and so I had never felt negative temperatures before. Not to say that it affected my performance, but it affects everybody coming from a sunny state like California.”

Being a part of the “best show in LA” is a unique experience.

And having a student section acknowledged by the team as one of the best in the nation adds to the energy when stepping out onto the floor.

Even as the novelty wears off, veteran upperclassmen continue to soak in the magic of Pauley Pavilion.

“Competing in Pauley is like a privilege, and it’s so exciting to be able to compete in an arena like that with all our home fans,” Barros said.

This week’s home meet celebrates Pride, adding another layer of meaning for the Bruin squad.

Alumni Kalyany Steele and Emma Andres openly identified as bisexual during their time competing at UCLA. Other athletes have performed floor routines with music and movement choices reflecting those connections, drawing from influences that trace back to the 1970s LGBTQ+ culture in New York.

“We want to celebrate individuality, and we want a really diverse team where everybody feels very accepted for being who they are. We want people to show up authentically themselves,” McDonald said. “The Pride meet is an example of being able to do that on a bigger stage, and make sure that people are celebrated for who they are and the differences that they bring to the table.”